Pneumatic safety appliance for street-cars, &amp;c.



UNITED b*,STMES l atented October 13, IQ.

PnTENTIberica,v

JOHN numeri@ 'or CLEVELAND, omo.

PNEuMATic SAFETY APPLIANGE FOR STREET-GARS, are.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,020, dated October 13, 1963. `Application filed December 19,1902. Serial No. 135,907l (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ENRIGHT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Safety Appliances for Street-Cars, dac., of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to guard against street-car accidents in a manner which assures of least harm to persons that are in danger of colliding with cars. I accomplish such results in the manner and by the means as described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which' Figure 1 represents a partial plan view of a street-car or electric suburban car, and Fig. 2 is a partial elevational view of the same.

Like letters of reference denote like parts in the drawings and specification.

The application of compressed air for the purpose of removing objects (persons) out of the path of a moving car is the chief feature of my invention.

Compressed air may be carried in tanks lo cated within or under the cars, or, if desired, compressed air may be taken from the same tank which furnishes compressed air for operating the air-brake mechanism.

In thedrawings no attempt is made to illustrate a particular or specific construction; but simply diagrammatic illustrations are given, including means whereby my invention may be carried into eiect.

Substantially the means comprise a tank filled with compressed air, suitable pipe or hose connections conveying the airto thefront of the car, an ejector or funnel,'an air-releasing member, '(such as a valve, cock, or the like,) a movable frame projecting from out of the car, and suitable intermediate mechanism arranged between said frame and said air-releasing member, 4which mechanism effects automatically the opening of said valve the moment the frame is moved inwardly.

.An inward movement of the frame can be caused when the latter collides with an object that may appear upon the track. Upon openingof the valve compressed air rushes into the air-ejector (header or funnel) and issues with sufficient force to blow an object oft the 'track or out of reach'of the car.

The transverse part a of the frame A may `be padded with some suitable material in ,order to render a collision therewith least hurtful. y

By means of a foot-lever or push-rod the valve may be opened by the motorman or operator of the carin advance of striking a per'- son by the cross-bar of the frame. In such instance a person will be simply blown off the track. Also an electrically-controlled device may be employed to open the Valve which controls the iow of air from the tank toward the header. Such device would consist of a `solenoid'around the lower end of push-rod B, a resistance-coil C, which would be placed in the circuit between trolley-pole and upper end of solenoid, and the lower end of solenoid would be wired in connection with a switch or contact-maker arranged in close proximity to the frame A, so that the slightest inward movement of the frame would effect the closing of the circuit, whereupon the solenoid would draw the rod B in or downwardly and open the valve C through the intervention of lever D, it being presupposed that a part of the lower end of the push-rod consists of nonmagnetic material, such as brass or the like. Provisions could be made so that the valve C would remain open until shut manually, or the said valve could be shut upon thereturn of the frame to its normal position.

In place of a header'a funnel may be used, from which issues the'blast of air in suitable direction to drive or blow persons out of reach of the car` For this purpose there may be arranged asecondary header, as indicated in dotted lines Z9 b'. The air-blast from the secondary header would strike a person in front of a car at the height ofthe shoulders or head, and thus prevent the person frombeing struck by the car.

As shown, the frame A is Y slidingly arranged withi'n suitable brackets c, which depend from the 'car-frame.

With such or similarly-arranged mechanism the above-described safety appliance can be brought into action either automatically by the intervention of the frame or it may be operated by the motorman. The air tank IOO or tanks E may be placed in any suitable 1ocation, either under the car-seats or underneath the car-frame. Said tanks are suitably equipped to admit of convenientA recharging. In either instance, however, it must be possible to open the valve by the slightest movement of the frame, or the motorman must be able to move the rod B or equivalent means with the greatest of ease.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A street or suburban car provided with a compressed-air-storage tank, an air-ejector in front ot' the car, controllable connections for and between said tank and ejector Whereby the amount of air supplied to said ejector may be regulated and suitable means whereby communication can be established from said tankl to said ejector for the purpose of removing persons in front of the car by airpressure.

2. A street or suburban car provided with a compressed-air-storage tank, an air-ejector in front of the car, controllable connections between said tank and ejector whereby the amount of air supplied to said ejector may be regulated, and suitable means arranged Within reach of the car operator whereby said 0perator may establish open relation between said tank and ejector for the purpose of removing persons in front of the car by airpressure.

3. Street-cars, dac., with a storage-tank for compressed air, a header, valve-controlled means connecting said tank with said header,

said means permitting the amount of air supplied to said ejector to be regulated, and a movable frame adapted to establish open relation between said tank and header when meeting an obstruction on the track all for the purpose of removing obstructions by force of air.

4:. Public conveyances provided with a tank or tanks containing compressed air, one or more air-ejectors in front of the car, valvecontrolled connections between said tank and ejector, whereby the amount of air supplied to said ejector may be regulated, a movable frame projecting from out of said conveyance and an electric device arranged and equipped to open the valve'when the circuit is closed upon inward movement of the frame.

5. The combination with a car; of a compressed-air-ejecting device extending across the front thereof; and means for controllably supplying air to said device, whereby the amount of air supplied to said ejector may be regulated.

6. The combination with a car; of a com'- pressed-air-ejecting device extending across the front thereof; andmeans for controllably operating said device, whereby the amount of air supplied to said ejector may be regulated, said means including a contact portion extending forward of said device.

JOHN ENRIGHT. 

